ATLANTA— Delta Air Lines (DL) will inspect over 100 aircraft following a powerful storm that disrupted operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). The severe weather, which included quarter-inch hail and high winds, forced widespread flight delays, cancellations, and even an evacuation of the air traffic control tower.
The incident halted Delta’s (DL) operations at its primary hub, requiring the airline to ground and now carefully examine the affected fleet before returning it to service.
Photo: Delta Air LinesDelta Faces Setback After Atlanta Storm
On Friday, thunderstorms battered the Atlanta area, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a flash flood warning.
Operations at ATL—one of the busiest airports globally—were severely affected, with Delta (DL) grounding aircraft as a precaution during the storm.
Operations at ATL were significantly impacted as severe weather swept through metro Atlanta late Friday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that high winds forced the evacuation of most air traffic controllers from the ATL tower, though a few remained to handle incoming flights during the emergency.
By Friday evening, departure delays ranged from 16 to 30 minutes, while arrival delays for airborne flights averaged 1 hour and 15 minutes. All incoming flights were held at origin airports until at least 12:00 a.m. EDT Saturday, according to the FAA.
Flight tracking platform FlightAware reported over 1,000 delays and 170 cancellations at ATL by Friday evening. Departures were delayed between 16 and 30 minutes, while arrivals experienced an average delay of 75 minutes.
At the storm’s peak, all incoming Delta flights to ATL were held at their departure points until at least midnight.
Photo: Delta Air LinesAircraft Inspections Underway
Following the storm, Delta Air Lines (DL) launched a comprehensive inspection program for more than 100 of its aircraft.
A Delta spokesperson confirmed that maintenance teams are working rapidly to assess the storm-related impact, primarily focusing on potential hail damage.
Spokesperson Erica Hutlas stated, “Delta people are working as safely and quickly as possible to recover flights.” She emphasized that safety remains the top priority as the airline works to reposition aircraft and schedule new crew rotations.
Tim Turner, spokesperson for Hartsfield-Jackson, confirmed that normal tower operations resumed once the storm passed.
Although the storm passed, the airline cautioned that delays and cancellations might continue into Saturday due to the need to reposition aircraft. Over 90 Delta flights were diverted due to high winds and lightning strikes.
Photo: American AirlinesFAA Response and Tower Evacuation
During the severe weather event, strong winds forced the FAA to evacuate most personnel from the air traffic control tower at ATL. According to officials, only two controllers remained on-site to manage critical communications. Full operations resumed shortly after the tower was deemed safe.
The FAA stated, “Air traffic controllers have returned to the Atlanta control tower after the FAA evacuated most personnel due to strong winds.”
The storm hit at a crucial time, as thousands of travelers were preparing for the Fourth of July weekend. Delta (DL), which operates over 900 daily flights from ATL, was particularly impacted by the timing and intensity of the storm.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
Delta Passenger Smashes Exit Window, Bloodies Boeing 767 Cabin
The post Delta Air Lines to Inspect Over 100 Planes at Busiest Airport in the World appeared first on Aviation A2Z.
